Cylinder handle and support

ABSTRACT

A handle for a cylindrical container having a spirally wound, spring wire coil and grips extending from the ends of said coil to accommodate the hand of a person for carrying the container; and a support including spaced coil members having extending arms carrying fastening members, said arms adapted to slide into a tube for preventing the rotation of the coil members about the fastening members.

United States Patent Inventor George L. l-lammon Oakland, Calif.

Appl. No. 825,479

Filed Apr. 1, 1969 Patented Apr. 27, 1971 Assignee Chemetron Corporation Chicago, Ill.

CYLINDER HANDLE AND SUPPORT 2 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl. 294/312, 24/261, 285/5, 294/33 Int. A47] 45/00 Field of Search 294/27, 27

(H), 31.2, 33, 34; 24/261 (R), 261 (C6), 261 (4C), 261 (B), 261 (G), (lnquired); 285/5, lnquired [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,976,623 10/1934 Monroe et a1. 294/33X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,362,624 4/1963 France 294/312 Primary Examiner-Even C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-J1. S. Lane Attorney-Nicholas M. Esser ABSTRACT: A handle for a cylindrical container having a spirally wound, spring wire coil and grips extending from the ends of said coil to accommodate the hand of a person for carrying the container; and a support including spaced coil members having extending arms carrying fastening members, said arms adapted to slide into a tube for preventing the rotation of the coil members about the fastening member's.

SHEET 2 W Z PATENTED m2? 197i Inventor George L. 112m mqn. 3g

CYLINDER HANDLE AND stmon'r strategic locations. The gas containing cylinder is heavy because its walls are relatively thick in order to retain gaseous oxygen under pressure. In a respiratory emergency it is vital that oxygen administration be commenced quickly. Thus, the cylinder must be quickly available at its storage location and easily movable to the scene of the emergency.

Tlle cylinder support of this invention is proportioned to loosely surround an oxygen cylinder and support the same in a generally upright position when the cylinder is being stored. A cylinder handle having a coiled portion loosely surrounds the cylinder and rests on the cylinder support while the cylinder is being stored therein. The coiled portion of the cylindercarrying handle has an internal clamping surface and handles extending from the ends of said coil. In an emergency a person desiring to carry the cylinder grasps the handles whereby the internal clamping surface of the coil frictionally engages against the external wall of the cylinder and the cylinder is easily removable from the support and transportable to the scene of the emergency. The cylinder is then easily supportable on the handle for holding a pressure-reducing regulator and flow-control device above the surface on which the cylinder is placed. Thus the equipment for administering the oxygen is not only easily available but is kept in a clean condition.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide a simple and efficient support for a gas cylinder.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a handle of simplified geometry which has improved holding and supporting capabilities.

A further object of this invention is to provide a cylinder handle which is loosely attached to the cylinder during storage yet firmly holds a cylinder being hand carried.

Another object of this invention is to provide an adjustable support for cylinders of varying length.

Further objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the following description of an illustrated embodiment thereof proceeds taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. l is a perspective view of a cylinder support handle incorporating the principles of this invention attached to a cylinder;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the cylinder-support handle removed from the cylinder;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the support handle;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view showing a modified support handle;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view, partly in section of the handle shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the handle of this invention supporting a cylinder at a respiratory emergency;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a cylinder support incorporating the principles of this invention; and

FIG. 8 is an elevational view, partly in section, of the support shown in FIG. 7.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings and first to FIG. I, a cylinder 9 is shown being carried by a support handle 110 of the present invention. The cylinder 9 contains a supply of gas such as breathing oxygen under pressure. When a cylinder such as the cylinder 9 is used in a respiratory emergency (FIG. 6) the oxygen is administered to a person through breathing equipment including a mask 12. A pressure reducing regulator 14 for controlling flow attaches by a yoke assembly 16 to a valve assembly 18 which is connected to the cylinder 9. Tubing 20 conducts the oxygen from the regulator 14 to the mask 12. A protective cover 22 (FIG. 1) is shown attached to the valve end of the cylinder 9 during transport. The cover 22 is adapted to contain the mask, regulator, yoke assembly, tubing and other accessories for the administration of oxygen as well as other inclusions.

The support handle 10 is made of a single length of resilient wire having a spirally wound coil or body portion 2% formed of approximately two turns or convolutions of the wire. Extending substantially radially away from the ends of the coil are straight portions or bars 26 and 28. Each bar has a tang 30 and 32 respectively, projecting angularlytherefrom in order to accommodate the hand of a person. A protective covering 341, 36 may be used (FIG. 2) on each bar and tang to make it easier for an individual to grasp and operate the support handle 10.

In its relaxed, nonuse position (FIG. 7) the coil 24 of handle 10 is adapted to surround loosely the cylinder 9. To pick up and carry the cylinder 9, a clamping force is imposed on the coil 24 when the bars 26 are pressed relatively toward each other by hand pressure whereby the circumferential length and inside diameter of the coil 24 are decreased. Such reduction in circumference effectively moves the inside surface of the coil 24 into frictional engagement with the outside wall of the cylinder 9. The same effect may be achieved by positioning the coil 24 a slight distance away from the center of gravity of the cylinder 9 and carrying the handle by the tangs 30, 32 (FIG. 1). In this way, the relatively larger weight of one end of the cylinder 9 tends to cause the turns of the coil 24 to slide over each other whereby the inside diameter of the coil 24 is reduced. It has been found that the frictional engagement between the turns of the coil 24 and the cylinder 9 also results when only one tang is grasped, as in FIG. 5.

The bars 26 and 28 extend from the ends of the coil 24 substantially radially in a spaced, substantially parallel relationship. By moving the bars 26 and 28 relatively toward each other under hand pressure to the position indicated by the dotted lines in FIG. 2, the circumferential dimension of the coil 24 is reduced and the diameter of the coil 24 is diminished. Thus the frictional engagement between the coil 24 and the cylinder wall is enhanced. Further by gripping the tangs 30 and 32, the bars 26 and 28 are moved from their relaxed position (shown dotted FIG. 3) to the full line position. This motion further reduces the inside diameter of the coil 24.

In the modified embodiment shown in FIG. 4 the coil 24a moves similarly to the coil 24 just described when a cylinder (not shown) is being carried, however, converging bends 38 and 40 are formed in the wire where the ends of the coil 24a merge with the bars (26a being shown) whereby the bars are generally coplanar. EAch bar has an extending tang, such as 30a by which the support handle 10a may be gripped.

At the scene of a respiratory emergency (FIG. 6), the cylinder 9 is supported on the tangs 30 and 32 of the support handle 10 at such an angle with the ground so that the oxygen administering equipment is held above the ground and is easily accessible.

FIG. 7 shows the cylinder 9 being held by a support 42 which is adapted to be fastened to a wall 56. The support 42 includes a lower supporting member 44 formed as a single coil of wire adapted to receive loosely the cylinder 9. A depending U-shaped stop member 46 is attached to the coil, as by welding, to engage the bottom of the cylinder 9 for supporting the same. A straight portion of arm 48 of the wire extends substantially a right angle from the coil. The upper end of the cylinder 9 is held by a surrounding coil member 50 which also is adapted to receive the cylinder 9 loosely. A straight portion or cam 52 of the wire extends from the surrounding coil member 50 substantially normally thereto.

Fastening members 54 having attachment means, such as bolts 55, adjustably connect to the straight portions 48 and 52 for fastening the members 44 and 50 respectively to the wall 56. A bore 58 through each fastening member 54 is adapted to have one of the straight portions 48 or 52 passed therethrough. A threaded hole (not numbered) intersects the bore 58 at a right angle and is adapted to receive a set screw 62 for holding the associated straight portion 48 or 52 in a preselected position. The arms 48 and 52 are adapted to slide respectively into the opposite ends of a tube 64. With the arms 48 and 52 positioned inside the tube, rotation of the supporting member 44 and coil member 50 about their respective fastening members 54 is prevented. By varying the length of the tube 64, the relative position of the supporting member 44 and the spaced coil member 50 may be varied and thus cylinders of different lengths can be accommodated.

Iclaim:

l. A handle for an elongated cylinder, said handle comprising: a coil formed of more than one full turn of a single piece of spring wire, said coil being adapted in a relaxed condition to loosely surround said cylinder; generally parallel bars extending substantially radially outwardly from the respective ends of said coil and being formed from the same piece of spring wire, said bars being movable by hand pressure toward each other to permit the circumference of said coil to be reduced such that said coil frictionally engages the cylinder; and tangs extending from the respective bars generally at right angles and in opposite directions and being formed from the same piece of spring wire, said tangs being adapted to support one end of said cylinder in an elevated position with respect to a horizontal surface when said coil surrounds said cylinder adjacent said one end of said cylinder with said tangs and the other end of said cylinder resting on the surface.

2. The handle of claim 1, wherein said bars are straight and wherein converging bends are formed in said spring wire where the ends of said coil merge with said bars whereby said bars and said tangs are generally coplanar. 

1. A handle for an elongated cylinder, said handle comprising: a coil formed of more than one full turn of a single piece of spring wire, said coil being adapted in a relaxed condition to loosely surround said cylinder; generally parallel bars extending substantially radially outwardly from the respective ends of said coil and being formed from the same piece of spring wire, said bars being movable by hand pressure toward each other to permit the circumference of said coil to be reduced such that said coil frictionally engages the cylinder; and tangs extending from the respective bars generally at right angles and in opposite directions and being formed from the same piece of spring wire, said tangs being adapted to support one end of said cylinder in an elevated position with respect to a horizontal surface when said coil surrounds said cylinder adjacent said one end of said cylinder with said tangs and the other end of said cylinder resting on the surface.
 2. The handle of claim 1, wherein said bars are straight and wherein converging bends are formed in said spring wire where the ends of said coil merge with said bars whereby said bars and said tangs are generally coplanar. 